January 9, 2008

Brazil's Coopercental Aurora builds US$25 million feed plant

Agribusiness cooperative Coopercentral Aurora (Aurora Alimentos) plans investments of R$100 million in 2008, of which R$45 million (US$25.4 million) to set up a new animal feed plant.

The company currently has three animal feed plants with combined production of 60,000 tonnes per month.

The new unit in Santa Catarina is near its 1,400 poultry farmers suppliers,

Plans are afoot to have the next new plant in the same state.

Equipment for Cunha Pora, worth EUR $2.5 million, was ordered from Van Aarsen.

The company, with revenue of R$185 million (US$104.6 million) monthly, exports 20 percent of its output of 14,000 hogs and 415,000 poultry. Coopercentral has 17 affiliated cooperatives with close to 80,000 associated farmers.

Another investment planned for 2008 is the expansion of a slaughtering plant in Mato Grosso do Sul from 1,050 to 1,850 animals per day.